Rochester resident Lisa Rutter stood next to Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday, Dec. 17, watching excitedly as he signed bills that have the potential of saving lives.

“I’m really proud of Michigan,” said Rutter, mother of two young sons.

Snyder signed bipartisan legislation that will protect schoolchildren and staff who suffer sudden, severe allergic reactions.

Advertisement

House Bills 4352 and 4353, sponsored by State Rep. Lisa Posthumus Lyons (R-Alto), were overwhelmingly approved by the Michigan House and Senate earlier this winter.

The new law will place inexpensive epinephrine injectors in Michigan schools and train staff to use them.

According to studies, children are among the most vulnerable to allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that can be fatal within minutes as swelling shuts off airways or due to a drop in blood pressure.

Kids who are exposed to a potential food allergy need immediate help in the critical minutes following an exposure, officials said.

Mother of a 6-year-old with food allergies, Rutter is founder of the No Nuts Moms Group, a support group focused on educating mothers whose children have food allergies. Founded in Michigan, the group has more than 40 chapters across the nation.

“Adding epinephrine auto injectors to our schools’ emergency tool kits will protect kids from the sort of unexpected and life-threatening food allergies that have tragically claimed so many lives on playgrounds and in classrooms in other states,” said Rutter in a release.

This past July, a 13-year-old California girl with a peanut allergy died at a popular family summer camp in Sacramento after taking a bite of a Rice Krispies treat. She died after eating the snack, which had peanuts, even after her parents administered Benedryl, then three dozes of epinephrine (EpiPen), according to Sacramento Bee reports.

More than 15 million Americans, including 6 million kids, suffer from food allergies.

Lisa’s oldest son Evan Rutter, a kindergartner attending North Hill Elementary, wears two EpiPens around his waist and his school keeps another two in the office.

His classroom is “nut aware,” meaning other students do not bring peanut products to the classroom.

Last year a 7-year-old Virginia girl suffered an anaphylactic reaction at school brought on by a food allergy. According to physicians, if her school had epinephrine on-hand, her life might easily have been saved.

Epinephrine injectors are the most effective emergency treatment for anaphylaxis. The injectors are simple devices used to immediately get epinephrine into the allergy victim’s system to give emergency personnel time to treat and save the student’s life.

The Rutter family didn’t start out at the forefront of food allergies. The journey began back when the family lived in Illinois. There, then 1-year-old Evan began having reactions.

“Our pediatrician dismissed it, but when we moved to Michigan, the pediatrician here said to get him tested by an allergist immediately,” said Rutter.

She eventually learned Evan had peanut and tree nut allergies. “I was naive in the beginning,” said Rutter. “It was crazy. I’m so glad we found out.” The Rutters’ other son Hayden does not have food allergies.

Rutter went on to form the “No Nuts Moms” group, and lobbied government officials to get the EpiPens in schools.

“We worked really hard to contact our senators and representatives,” said Rutter, who said she has learned so much about how Michigan government works.

“We are only the fifth state requiring it.”

After Snyder signed the bills, he gave the pens to the Rutter children, said Lisa.

“The kids are so young, they didn’t understand,” she said. But the Rutters plan to explain it all to them as they get older.

“We took a lot of pictures,” she said.

The passage of the bills, said Rutter, says “a lot for Michigan and what they are doing for their children.”

Schools won’t have to purchase pens, said Rutter.

Mylan, the pen manufacturer, offers a program for schools.

“Schools can sign up to get four pens,” said Rutter.

“We want schools to have access to this for those who don’t know they have the allergy.”

She said statistics show 25 percent of first-time reactions happen at school.

“Food allergies can develop at any time,” she said.

About the Author

Carol Hopkins covers Waterford and White Lake townships. She has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Michigan, and she worked as a senior editor for Detroit Monthly magazine and as a reporter for The Oakland Press since 2003. Reach the author at carol.hopkins@oakpress.com
or follow Carol on Twitter: @OPCarolHopkins.